- FIREHOSE FRIDAY: Legend of the Annual Fundraiser
Hey, everyone …
THANK YOU to long-time supporter JR, whose $25 donation yesterday (with a note: “Not sure how much your copay is, but hopefully this helps” brings our annual fundraiser total to (as of 5am) $1,028!
Before going any further (it gets a little weird), let me mention that today is a “FIREHOSE FRIDAY” at the freedom movement’s daily newspaper, with no email edition but about 100 news stories, opinion pieces, and audio/video links lined up for you here at our web edition.
That “copay” remark from JR refers to yesterday’s update, in which I mentioned a medical appointment. I expected a 45-minute thing, but it turned into a four-plus-hour thing (not including an hour or so of travel time). A big chunk out of my usual work time, which is why I decided to go “web-only” today. Why more than four hours? Read on if you’re interested. But first:
PLEASE SUPPORT THE FREEDOM MOVEMENT’S DAILY NEWSPAPER!
We’re $1,723.50 short of our goal. Once we reach $2,751.50, supporter GL will “match funds” to get us to our goal of $5,503.
So: I went to the doctor to find out what kind of procedure I’d need to repair a hole in my left retina. Good news! The hole is too small to bother with, no surgery needed.
BUT!
Well, let me go with more good news: I PROBABLY don’t have cancer.
The four hours was all about multiple rounds of imaging because they saw something else in my eye. Optometrists doing regular eye exams have been mentioning a “freckle” in my eye for a decade or so, but the imaging at the specialist says it’s bigger than that. Ultrasound (one of, IIRC, four kinds of scans) says it is shaped “consistent with a choroidal melanoma.”
Which means more imaging every three months for probably a year to see if it is growing, changing, etc. It’s hard to biopsy the back of the eye, so all they can really do is watch and guess, then (if necessary) hit it with radiation, lasers, or surgery to remove the mass (or, possibly, the eye).
Am I worried? Yes. But there are worse things than rocking a Snake Plissken eyepatch for the rest of my life, which sounds like both a stretch and the worst even remotely likely outcome. Fortunately I have decent health coverage (through my wife’s employer).
If I was cynical, I’d say a cancer scare was just the thing I could use to get y’all to
SUPPORT THE FREEDOM MOVEMENT’S DAILY NEWSPAPER!
Good thing I’m not cynical, huh?
I do hope you’ll support us because we bring you important content reliably, not because ooh, scary, poor Tom.
And I also hope you have a happy, healthy, and prosperous weekend!
Yours in liberty,
Tom Knapp
Publisher
Rational Review News Digest / Freedom News Daily - Iran: Regime says seven vessels hit near Strait of Hormuz, warns US of wider response
Source: Yahoo! News
“Iran’s Revolutionary Guard says seven vessels were damaged in attacks or by naval mines near the Strait of Hormuz overnight Thursday, according to Iranian state media and the IRGC Navy. The move comes amid reports that the U.S. and Israel are drawing up plans to strike Iran after the U.S. midterm elections. President Donald Trump told NewsNation that the U.S. has ceased negotiations with Iran, but demurred on indicating when any additional military actions could take place. … On Truth Social, Trump accused Iran of trying to drive up the price of oil ahead of the upcoming election.” (10/22/26)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/world/articles/iran-says-7-vessels-hit-104842813.html
- Kushner Rages Against “Completely Insane” Report of Hacked Phone, Secret Talks
Source: Newsweek
“Jared Kushner has strongly denied allegations raised in a new Vanity Fair report that Dutch intelligence monitored activity on his phone and uncovered purported secret financial arrangements involving Middle Eastern governments, calling the claims ‘completely insane’ and saying they ‘never happened.’ … The report, written by Matthew Cole and excerpted from his forthcoming book Princes and Thieves: Jared Kushner and Mohamed bin Zayed’s Secret Plot to Remake the Middle East, alleges that Dutch intelligence obtained screenshots of Kushner’s iPhone through files found on a Russian military intelligence operative’s server and subsequently monitored his phone activity. … The report alleges that roughly $750 million was transferred into an account at First Abu Dhabi Bank held by the Watani Al Emarat Foundation, a UAE government-funded charity. Kushner was allegedly a signatory on the account, giving him access to it, but was not its owner … The article also alleges that a separate account in Israel received roughly $1 billion intended for Kushner’s personal benefit.” (10/22/26)
- Tibet: Earthquake kills at least 16
Source: Deutsche Welle [German state media]
“A strong earthquake struck [Chinese-occupied Tibet] on Thursday night, killing at least 16 people and injuring 65 others, Chinese state media reported. Hundreds of homes in the remote Himalayan region collapsed due to the magnitude 7.0 quake, Xinhua reported. … The earthquake’s epicenter is around 190 kilometers (120 miles) northeast of Nagqu, a city around 300 kilometers north of the Tibetan capital, Lhasa, the US Geological Survey said.” (10/23/26)
- Trump ordered to answer questions under oath in BBC lawsuit
Source: BBC News [UK state media]
“A US judge has ordered President Donald Trump to answer questions under oath in his [frivolous] defamation lawsuit against the BBC by 11 December. Trump is suing the BBC over an episode of Panorama that edited together two different sections of a speech he gave before the riot at the US Capitol in 2021. Charles Tobin, a lawyer representing the BBC, said in court that ‘we still haven’t been able to depose the plaintiff’ with two months left in the discovery period. Trump cancelled a previous deposition on 16 October, citing ‘matters of national importance’ while he was campaigning in Georgia. The judge in the case, US Magistrate Judge Enjoliqué Lett, said that Trump must sit for the deposition by 11 December, unless the discovery period is extended.” (10/22/26)
- Venezuelans Call for Elections in First National Protest in Nearly Two Years
Source: US News & World Report
“Thousands of Venezuelans took to the streets on Thursday in the first nationwide opposition protest in nearly two years, as demonstrators demanded free elections and other political changes. The United States has been working closely with the interim government led by acting President Delcy Rodriguez since US forces captured President Nicolas Maduro in January. Both US President Donald Trump and Rodriguez, Maduro’s former deputy, have said there will be elections, but have not set a date either for a legislative vote or a national contest for president. Opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Corina Machado, who has been outside the country for nearly a year after living in hiding following a contested 2024 election, has said elections must take place by July 2027. Her Vente Venezuela movement organized the protest, which took place in the capital Caracas, as well as cities including Valencia, Maracay, San Cristobal and Maracaibo.” (10/22/26)
- Italy: Trucker blockades ramp up pressure on Meloni
Source: Politico
“Roadblocks by truckers in southern Italy are exposing the limits of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s hardline approach toward protests, as she concedes she will have to take a carrot-and-stick approach to demonstrators struggling with soaring fuel costs. The demonstrations across the south are fast spiraling into a full-blown economic crisis. Truck drivers and farmers protesting soaring diesel bills have blocked highways, ports and distribution centers this week, leaving supermarket shelves empty and petrol pumps dry. Airports in the south are also suffering from fuel shortages. After a cabinet meeting on Thursday, the right-wing Meloni vowed to use a security decree to clear the roadblocks, but also pledged to give financial relief to farmers and fishermen crippled by the price of diesel.” (10/22/260
- Top health adviser and MAHA ally quits Trump regime
Source: Axios
“Calley Means, the health entrepreneur who became the Trump administration’s most vocal advocate of the MAHA agenda, resigned from his senior adviser post on Thursday. Means’ departure two weeks before the midterm elections underscores the MAHA base’s discontent with the pace of change on food policy and the administration’s stances on issues like pesticide use. Means cited ‘entrenched, dark forces in DC’ in a statement on X but said he had ‘tremendous respect’ for the way President Trump and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. laid out a vision for change.” (10/22/26)
- NYC: City council votes to advance bill that would ban horse-drawn carriages
Source: CBC News [Canadian state media]
“New York City council passed a bill Thursday that would ban horse-drawn carriage rides by June 2028, pulling back the reins after the death of a teenage tourist last spring. The legislation requires Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s office to develop a plan by next April to help the more than 150 remaining drivers and the rest of the industry find other jobs, though its provisions are vague and doesn’t set clear benchmarks for displaced workers. Instead, it requires city hall to come up with a program that includes job referrals, career counselling and educational opportunities. It also allows the administration to consider some form of compensation for industry workers.” (10/22/26)
https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/new-york-horse-carriage-ban-9.7391918
- Palestine: Israeli regime frees suspects in two squatter attacks as West Bank pogroms intensify
Source: Al Jazeera [Qatari state media]
“Israel has released nine of the 10 Israeli [squatter] suspects arrested over attacks on a US journalist and European diplomats in the occupied West Bank, placing them under house arrest. An Israeli court in Jerusalem ordered the release late on Wednesday, according to Honenu, a law firm that represents Israeli [squatters]. … Masked [squatters] were filmed last week assaulting Heidi Levine, a Washington Post photojournalist covering a Palestinian olive harvest who was taken to hospital and underwent surgery on a finger. In a separate attack earlier this week, masked [squatters] assaulted French, Belgian and Polish diplomats and a French mayor in another part of the West Bank.” (10/22/26)
- US DOJ Investigating Ex-heimatschutz official Corey Lewandowski
Source: United Press International
“The U.S. Department of Justice has opened a probe into allegations former Department of Homeland Security official Corey Lewandowski profited off his position, according to U.S. media reports. The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and CNN cited unnamed people with the situation as saying the investigation follows a criminal referral by the DHS inspector general for Lewandowski, who served as former DHS Secretary Kriski Noem’s de facto chief of staff. Lewandowski and Noem were ousted from DHS in March following embarrassing disclosures about infighting and spending at the agency. … Either Lewandowski or close associations approved nearly all DHS spending decisions on sums of more than $100,000, giving him insight into the contractors the agency worked with and the power to hold up contracts.” (10/22/26)
- Tom Skerritt, 1933-2026
Source: Variety
“Tom Skerritt, who starred in the TV series ‘Picket Fences’ and appeared in movies ranging from ‘MASH’ to ‘Alien,’ ‘Top Gun,’ ‘A River Runs Through It’ and ‘Ted,’ died on Wednesday of natural causes, Variety has confirmed with his publicist. He was 93. The lean, rugged, mustachioed actor won an Emmy in 1993 and was also nominated in 1994 for playing Jimmy Brock, sheriff of the oddball town at the center of David E. Kelley’s CBS dramedy ‘Picket Fences.'” (10/22/26)
https://variety.com/2026/film/news/tom-skerritt-dead-picket-fences-alien-1236921694/
- ICC wins EU Parliament’s human rights prize
Source: Politico
“The International Criminal Court has won this year’s Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, awarded by the European Parliament, according to two people with knowledge of the decision. The €50,000 prize honors defenders of human rights and freedom of thought, with past winners including Nelson Mandela, Alexei Navalny, Belarusian journalists, and the people of Ukraine. The Socialists and Democrats group nominated the ICC following U.S. President Donald Trump’s sanctions on the court, announced on Oct. 9.” (10/22/26)
https://www.politico.eu/article/icc-wins-eu-parliaments-human-rights-prize/
- OR: Teacher in shooting said she pretended to be dead to survive
Source: BBC News [UK state media]
“A 54-year-old teacher who survived a mass shooting at an Oregon elementary school said she pretended to be dead so the gunman would not shoot her again. Becky Drury, a teacher at Silver Rail Elementary School, said in a statement shared with US media that as she tried to shut her classroom door, the gunman shot her and she fell to the floor. ‘I did the only thing I could do, which was to pretend to be dead in the hope he would not shoot me again,’ Drury said. The attacker – who has been identified as a 16-year-old former student at the school – killed three students and a teacher before a parent from the school fatally shot him. In her first remarks since the 15 October shooting in Bend, Oregon, Drury said that she went to see what was happening outside the special-education classroom, and after spotting the shooter, she tried to shut the door.” (10/22/26)
- FL: Mayor charged with stealing COVID-19 business relief funds
Source: United Press International
“Authorities have arrested the mayor of Kissimmee, Fla., on allegations that she abused her office and stole tens of thousands of dollars in COVID-19 relief funds intended to help local businesses recover from the pandemic. Eva Jacquelyn Espinosa was arrested Wednesday on one count each of grand theft and organized scheme to defraud, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced in a press conference. … The charges stem from the City of Kissimmee’s Business Boost 2.0 Grant Program, a federally funded program launched in September 2025 to aid small businesses in overcoming lingering economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.” (10/22/26)
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2026/10/22/Kissimee-mayor-arrested/3021792640608/
- Slotkin’s viral “threat to conservatives” takes new twist as student moves to hold her accountable
Source: Fox News
“Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) is facing an ethics complaint filed to the United States Senate over comments she made earlier this month that many characterized as a ‘threat’ to conservatives who are thinking about working for the Trump administration. During an Oct. 13 University of Chicago event, Slotkin drew criticism after a clip went viral showing her saying she wants to pursue ‘signature cases’ against people who ‘enabled’ President Donald Trump and push a ‘deterrence message’ for young people. ‘I want young people coming out of school to say, ‘Should I go work for the Trump administration?’ … Slotkin is now facing an ethics complaint filed Thursday by Michael Bicksel, a University of Chicago student who first reported her remarks.” (10/22/26)
- Trump regime points finger at Musk in Starlink confusion
Source: The Hill
“Top Trump administration officials are starting to point fingers squarely at Elon Musk for the decision to slow down his company’s Starlink satellite internet services and its military counterpart Starshield for Ukraine. Looking to deflect the controversial move — which was swiftly admonished by powerful congressional Republicans and Democrats — Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday said Ukraine’s access to Starlink was up to Musk and not the White House. ‘The bottom line is that that is governed by a private commercial contract as to how their stuff can be used and what speeds they’ll allow it to be used at,’ Rubio told reporters while traveling to India. And Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, speaking to reporters on Tuesday, suggested Starlink’s slowdown was a commercial matter and not a result of any orders from the White House.” (10/22/260
- Ireland: Dail votes to end UN approval requirement for overseas peacekeeping missions
Source: France 24 [French state media]
“Irish lawmakers voted Wednesday in favour of controversial legislation to scrap a mechanism preventing the overseas deployment of Irish military peacekeepers without a green light from the United Nations. The Dail, Ireland’s lower house of parliament, approved the bill by 79 votes to 71, despite opposition warnings that the move threatens the country’s longstanding military neutrality. Ireland is not a NATO member, but its small defence force of just over 8,000 personnel has traditionally engaged in international peacekeeping operations. … The government argues that Ireland should be able to respond to crises without waiting for approval from the UN Security Council.” (10/22/260
https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20261022-ireland-votes-un-veto-overseas-peacekeeping-missions
- SCOTUS says New Hampshire student IDs can’t be used to vote in November
Source: NBC News
“In a win for Republicans, the Supreme Court said Thursday that student IDs cannot be used in New Hampshire for the midterm elections. The justices granted an emergency request filed by the state, which had the backing of the Republican National Committee. The ballot in New Hampshire includes a closely watched Senate race that could play a key role in deciding control of the chamber. Republican former Sen. John E. Sununu is pitted against Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas for the seat held by retiring Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen. The brief court order said a federal judge should not have ordered a change in voting rules so close to the Nov. 3 election, citing existing precedent on that point.” (10/22/26)
- Crowd of 50 beats foreigner to death in South Africa
Source: BBC News [UK state media]
“A foreign national has been beaten to death by a crowd of about 50 people in Durban, South Africa, police say. According to police, the unidentified man, believed to be in his late 30s or early 40s, was first approached by two men by the roadside before being assaulted by a larger group. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Police have launched an investigation into the murder, with the motive yet to be established. The killing follows a wave of protests against immigrants in South Africa this year, some of which have turned violent. Earlier this month, shops and cars were set on fire in Durban, as well as Soweto, near Johannesburg. Provincial police spokesperson Robert Netshiunda told the BBC they cannot speculate on the motive for the killing in Durban and that more information would be shared once verified.” (10/22/26)
- The Swamp King
Source: Reason
by Eric Boehm“An uncanny strength of the second Trump administration has been its ability to be involved in so many scandals that no single one seems to become a dominant story. Take the most recent allegations about Alina Habba, Trump’s former personal defense attorney, who recently landed a plush gig working for Julio Herrera Velutini, a Venezuelan banker. Habba will get $50 million over five years to do unspecified work for a company that barely exists, according to The New York Times, while Herrera got a presidential pardon for a 2025 campaign finance charge. That’s just a typical day for the current White House, where the mingling of personal and public business has become routine.” (10/22/26)
- Will Trump Suspend the Midterm Elections?
Source: Future of Freedom Foundation
by Jacob G Hornberger“According to election polls, Democrats are fairly certain to take control over the U.S. House of Representatives. There is now also the possibility that they could take control over the U.S. Senate. Realizing the danger he faces of losing control over Congress, President Trump is barnstorming the country, doing his best to rally his MAGA supporters to go to the polls and vote. But a question naturally arises: If Trump becomes certain that he faces defeat next month, will he switch directions and simply suspend the midterm elections? After all, one cannot lose an election if no election is held.” (10/22/26)
https://www.fff.org/2026/10/22/will-trump-suspend-the-midterm-elections/
- Repairing Rothbardian Monopoly Theory
Source: Bet On It
by Bryan Caplan“After leading with the theory of perfect competition, economics textbooks standardly add a ‘corrective’ chapter on the evils of monopoly. While they occasionally mention government-created monopoly, the focus is almost always on the harm of free-market monopoly, and the necessity of antitrust laws to combat such monopoly. A free-market monopoly is a business that manages to control a whole industry, and uses its control to slash output and raise prices. Later textbook chapters move on to markets with varying degrees of ‘monopoly power’ – and broadly conclude that as monopoly power goes up, market performance goes down. The moral: Free markets are only optimal in an extreme polar case. The further the real world strays from that case, the more suboptimal they become – and the more regulation improves the free-market outcome. Murray Rothbard rejects this picture, using three different sets of arguments.” (10/22/26)
https://www.betonit.ai/p/repairing-rothbardian-monopoly-theory
- American farmers are slammed by war 7,000 miles away
Source: Responsible Statecraft
by Joseph Solis-Mullen“American farmers are in crisis, facing rising costs, disrupted export markets, and mounting financial pressure. While farming has always faced unavoidable challenges, such as weather, pests, and the vagaries of demand, the present problems are entirely of Washington’s making. The Trump administration’s tariffs have damaged critical trading relations, and its war against Iran has disrupted energy and fertilizer trade through the Strait of Hormuz. Washington’s response to beleaguered American agricultural interests has been billions of dollars in emergency aid and promises that future trade deals will deliver additional relief. It is a familiar cycle: Washington creates new risks for American producers, taxpayers absorb part of the resulting losses, and the underlying policies remain in place. Farmers receive temporary assistance but are left to navigate the same uncertain markets and elevated costs that made the assistance necessary.” (0/22/26)
- A Better Way Than Bossing Europe
Source: The American Conservative
by Doug Bandow“The United States continues to underwrite Europe’s security, forcing Washington to maintain an oversize military and risk American lives and wealth on behalf of prosperous, populous allies able to defend themselves. Yet the Europeans are ever less willing to follow American geopolitical dictates, despite enjoying a de facto subsidy for their more generous welfare states. And Trump’s commercial extortion hurts Americans more than it helps them, raising prices, distorting trade, and inflaming conflict. Washington should instead encourage the emergence of Europe as a friendly, if at times competitive, geopolitical player, able and ready to promote shared economic, political, and other international objectives.” (10/22/26)
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/a-better-way-than-bossing-europe/
- Dems know Ilhan Omar is in deep trouble, that’s why they had Obama parachute in
Source: New York Post
by Miranda Devine“Barack Obama is like a firefighter parachuted in by the Democratic Party at times of crisis to put out fires. So when he weighed in on Sunday on the federal investigation of Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar over potential allegations of immigration fraud and financial offenses, you just knew that the party is seriously worried about the national implications if she were to be indicted and potentially denaturalized and deported. Railing against the ‘appalling’ investigation, Obama claimed Omar was ‘a law-abiding elected official’ targeted because she ‘has dared to criticize the president’, and we should all be ‘outraged’ about the weaponization of the Justice Department. ‘It is a basic principle of American democracy that the government can’t selectively target individuals simply because of their political beliefs or what they say.’ That’s quite some chutzpah from the former president who launched the Russia-hoax persecutions of Trump.” (10/22/26)
- Silencing social media won’t stop the unrest in France
Source: Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression
by Sarah McLaughlin“Censorship isn’t a ‘one weird trick,’ a Band-Aid, or a miracle cure.” (10/22/26)
https://www.fire.org/news/blogs/free-speech-dispatch/silencing-social-media-wont-stop-unrest-france
- Trump can’t deliver Ukraine to Putin — and he should stop trying to
Source: The Hill
by Jonathan Sweet & Mark Toth“Yes, President Trump wants an end to the war, but not for the sake of Ukraine or the defense of NATO; rather, to secure ‘economic opportunities’ with Russia. Putin has had Kirill Dmitriev travel to Miami, Moscow, New York and Washington to entice Team Trump to win something that his military cannot deliver — Ukraine. Trump has not been able to deliver Ukraine either. Mr. Art of the Deal cannot close the deal, and he continues using tactics unbecoming of any president before him to pressure Zelensky into making a bad deal.” (10/22/26)
https://thehill.com/opinion/national-security/6163050-trump-pressures-zelensky-ukraine-war/
- Who Will Say No to Ramaswamy?
Source: The Next Move
by Jay Nordlinger“What can the public do about the poison, the indecency, in our politics? The answer: Not reward it. Not vote for it. If you reward something, you get more of it. If you penalize it, you get less. Something else: Decent people ought to stop backing indecent candidates, party politics be damned. The current governor of Ohio, Mike DeWine, is a famously decent pol. He and his wife, Fran, are known for their many charitable works. A Republican, he has endorsed Ramaswamy to succeed him. Why? And can’t he rescind his endorsement? After 50 years in public life, he is retiring at the age of 79. What does he have to lose?” (10/22/26)
- After a “no to secession” in Canada, the next step
Source: Christian Science Monitor
by staff“Canada (thanks to just one of its 10 provinces, which holds 97.5% of national oil reserves) is among the world’s top five oil producers. But residents of that far western province, Alberta, have been increasingly frustrated by decades of environmental and green energy goals and regulations that, they say, have constrained the use of and benefits from the natural resource at their disposal. Still, on Monday, Albertans declared a clear ‘no’ to the notion of seceding from Canada in a referendum (on whether to hold a future binding referendum on separation). The 3-to-1 result bolsters Prime Minister Mark Carney’s stated goal of making Canada a ‘global energy superpower’ as well as the cause of national unity – for now.” (10/21/26)
- A Comeback for Freedom
Source: Law & Liberty
by Thomas D Howes“Stephanie Slade’s re-articulation of fusionist principles gives lovers of freedom an opportunity to rally.” (10/22/26)
- Here’s Why Experts Keep Being Wrong About the Future
Source: Yascha Mounk
by Yascha Mounk“In the wake of the Great Recession, economists faced tough questions: How could they have missed the imminent collapse of the world economy? Of what use were all their intricate models if they couldn’t predict such a huge systemic crisis? Just as economists failed to predict the Great Recession, so political scientists failed to predict a series of momentous political upsets. The most obvious is the dizzying rise of Donald Trump. But the story is bigger than that: In recent years, political scientists have overestimated the forces of stability time and again, failing to foresee Brexit, the chaos wrought in the Philippines by Rodrigo Duterte, and the serious threat posed to Polish democracy by its populist government, among other developments.” (10/22/26)
https://writing.yaschamounk.com/p/how-political-science-gets-politics
- The Debt Limit’s Lame-Duck Test: Can Republicans Cut Spending?
Source: The Daily Economy
by Romina Boccia“Congress may raise the debt limit again, as spending surges and the deficit widens. Does fiscal restraint have any defenders left?” (10/22/26)
https://thedailyeconomy.org/article/the-debt-limits-lame-duck-test-can-republicans-cut-spending/
- Despite Democratic Denials, French Police Identify Antifa as the “Ideologically Distinct Group” Behind the Riots
Source: Jonathan Turley
by Jonathan Turley“Years ago, I called Antifa ‘the Keyser Söze of the left’ (after the character in ‘The Usual Suspects’). In the film, the character Virgil explains how Söze stayed in the shadows: he became ‘a myth, a spook story that criminals tell their kids at night.’ The strategy was too simple: ‘the greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he did not exist.’ Democratic leaders have long fostered the myth around Antifa, the largest and most violent group on the political left. For years, they have denied the existence of the group even as members were charged with crimes (including terrorism). Now, the French authorities have found that the nonexistent group is the largest of three ‘ideologically distinct groups’ responsible for the violence in France. It appears that either the entire French security system is delusional or the trick is up for the American left.” (10/22/26)
- Trump’s DOJ is using antitrust law to punish the free press
Source: USA Today
by Ben Sperry“When the networks suspended pool coverage, they were not conspiring to manipulate prices or exclude rival news organizations. They were conducting a boycott in solidarity with their banned colleagues.” (10/22/26)
- Vaccine Schedules: Global Policies & Trump’s Order
Source: Independent Institute
by Dr. David Gortler“There is a wide disparity across the globe when it comes to childhood vaccination policies. American kids receive up to 75 vaccines, twice as many as kids in other countries. That is why if Dr. Heidi Overton is confirmed as the next director of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), one of her top priorities should be helping to drive President Trump’s mandate to study the safety and comparative outcomes of the current vaccine schedule to that of other countries. High on her list of priorities will surely be the two executive orders President Trump signed this year to promote the health of American children, especially since there doesn’t appear to be any movement on either.” (10/22/26)
https://www.independent.org/article/2026/10/22/childhood-vaccine-schedule-policies/
- The American Way of Execution
Source: Washington Monthly
by James D Zirin“Public executions (what comes to mind is the Reign of Terror in France) may have been the order of the day in 1789 at the time of the Constitution, but they have certainly been viewed as barbaric in contemporary times. When the Hasan execution was still a live possibility, Vice President JD Vance said he doubted the livestream would take place, adding that he wouldn’t watch it anyway, as did Speaker Mike Johnson. A poll released last Thursday showed Americans were overwhelmingly against the whacko idea. Despite the cancellation, religious scholars worry it did damage.” (10/22/26)
https://washingtonmonthly.com/2026/10/22/the-american-way-of-execution/
- UK To Push The “Antisemitism” Psyop Even Harder In Schools
Source: Caitlin Johnstone, Rogue Journalist
by Caitlin Johnstone“The more children Israel kills, the more unpopular it becomes. The more unpopular Israel becomes, the more violently we are throat-fucked with the narrative that ‘antisemitism’ is a major problem in our society. The UK’s Department for Education has released a 107-page review which asserts that much more needs to be done to protect Jewish students in England from discrimination. In and of itself this sounds perfectly reasonable, until you look at the actual document. The review, led by Sir David Bell, mentions the word ‘political’ or ‘geopolitical’ no fewer than 125 times. It mentions the word ‘Israel’ or ‘Israeli’ 60 times and the word ‘Palestine’ or ‘Palestinian’ 35 times. So, as always, it is clear that this isn’t actually about protecting a religious minority from persecution.” (10/22/26)
https://caitlinjohnstone.com.au/2026/10/22/uk-to-push-the-antisemitism-psyop-even-harder-in-schools/
- Is your phone making you less tolerant?
Source: Expression
by Chapin Lenthall-Cleary“We’ve previously used a tool we call the Free Speech Map to show how tolerant different groups are of hypothetical campus speakers, often as a way to assess how certain traits cause or are linked to tolerance. In our newest College Free Speech Rankings, we asked students where they get their news, including an option for social media. So let’s put that question onto the free speech map …” (10/22/26)
https://expression.fire.org/p/is-your-phone-making-you-less-tolerant
- How to Escape the Land Trap
Source: Liberal Currents
by Jack Billings“The supply of land is constrained. An increase in demand for a location thus means higher land prices. If zoning and building rules also constrain the supply of buildings and housing, then increased demand for a location will also make those buildings and housing expensive …. Mike Bird in The Land Trap explores these relationships with a gallop through history starting in ancient Babylon, arriving in the late 19th century in western Europe and the United States—he pays appropriate homage to George—then ends the book with chapters on Japan, Hong Kong, China, and Singapore.” (10/22/26)
https://www.liberalcurrents.com/how-to-escape-the-land-trap/
- Launching a Second Scientific Revolution
Source: Brownstone Institute
by Jayanta Bhattacharya“At the root of the scientific revolution was the idea that there was not and should never be a scientific authority. For centuries, a small number of ecclesiastical powers had decided such questions as whether the moons of Jupiter move. The scientific revolution placed these questions in the hands of a lot of very smart scientists, including those with telescopes. Unfortunately, we find ourselves back in a situation today, as demonstrated a few years ago by the Covid lockdowns, mask mandates, and vaccination requirements, where a relatively small number of people—directors of government agencies like the National Institutes of Health, heads of international agencies like the World Health Organization, and editors of prestigious journals—have the power to say what is true or false in science.” (10/22/26)
https://brownstone.org/articles/launching-a-second-scientific-revolution/
- Bridging the infant care gap: Reviving America’s At-Home Infant Care programs
Source: Niskanen Center
by Sanya Bahal & Joshua McCabe“The birth of a child and the months that follow mark a special period in a family’s life. While it is a joyous occasion, it can also be a time of acute stress on family finances. The cost of baby supplies and childcare can significantly increase a family’s spending while household income declines over the same period. This financial dynamic is nearly universal, impacting parents whether they are single, cohabiting, or married.” (10/22/26)
- Kentucky can cut health premiums without spending a dime
Source: Bluegrass Institute
by Caleb O Brown, Michael F Cannon, & Niklas Kleinworth‘Obamacare premiums are rising faster than Congress can subsidize them. Legislation proposed in the last session would have pulled Kentucky out of this nosedive and saved Kentuckians 60 percent or more on their health insurance.” (10/22/26)
https://www.bluegrassinstitute.org/cut-health-premiums-without-spending-a-dime/
- Trump Critic: He’s “Racist” Because He “Demeans” Black Politicians
Source: Town Hall
by Larry Elder“A caller to my show rattled off President Donald Trump’s supposed ‘racist’ sins: Trump called African countries ‘shithole’ countries; he refused to rent to blacks; he said he did not want blacks counting his money at his casinos — he wanted Jews to do the counting; and he demeans black politicians like Democrat Rep. Maxine Waters (CA-43) by calling her ‘low IQ.’ Who does that? Donald John Trump, that’s who. Yes, Trump denounces some black politicians, specifically some black Democrat politicians whom Trump feels have unfairly and viciously attacked him. But Trump, unlike most Republicans who tiptoe around black Democratic antagonists for fear of being called racist, drops a colorblind hammer.” (10/22/26)
- Among Wave Elections, 1994 Stands Alone
Source: Dispatch
by Carroll Doherty“When Democrats dream about how big their ‘blue wave’ might be on November 3, they tend to draw on historical comparisons: Can the party replicate its success of 2018, when Democrats picked up 40 seats in the House but failed to take back the Senate, or perhaps even 2006, when Democrats swept to majorities in both chambers? Perhaps no one is more bullish on the party’s prospects than Democratic pollster John Anzalone, who recently reached all the way back to 1994 in search of a possible precedent. This election ‘feels much more like 1994 than any other cycle I have been through in 40 years,’ Anzalone wrote on X. Now that was a wave election.” (10/22/26)
https://thedispatch.com/article/republicans-1994-midterms-newt-gingrich/
- California just showed how home batteries will radically remake the grid
Source: Grist
by Matt Simon“Until recently, you’ve had no choice but to be a passive participant in the electrical grid, paying exorbitantly for the juice that flows into your home. But you’re about to play a much more active role — if you’re not already — and get paid to send power from your home battery or electric vehicle to the energy system. Even if you’re a renter, you may be able to buy solar panels that plug into a wall outlet, turning your balcony into your own tiny power plant. Earlier this month, a punishing California heat wave showed just how this more flexible grid can help absorb spikes in demand.” (10/22/26)
- The Rhetorical Triumph of the Neo-Nazis
Source: Washington Monthly
by David Masciotra“Here’s a grim reality that few would have predicted in the 1990s: Neo-Nazi rhetoric and ideology have found a place in American political discourse. You don’t have to believe America is fascist to become alarmed that crackpot rhetoric has found its way into the national dialogue. Review the ravings of Timothy McVeigh, watch footage of a neo-Nazi rally, or even sit down with a 1998 movie like American History X, the story of a skinhead played by Edward Norton, and you will discern a disturbing pattern. Beyond epithets, the vocabulary of lunacy and hatred is now part of our vernacular.” (10/22/26)
https://washingtonmonthly.com/2026/10/22/the-rhetorical-triumph-of-the-neo-nazis/
- War Is A Policy, Not An Inevitability
Source: Libertarian Institute
by Joseph Solis-Mullen“One of the most persistent myths about war is that it is sometimes inevitable. States are carried along by the impersonal forces of history: the balance of power, alliance commitments, ideological antagonisms, the rise and decline of great powers, et cetera. Leaders may make mistakes along the way, but these are trivia, for the ultimate outcome was determined by circumstances beyond their control. And while it is true the international environment constrains the choices available to statesmen, sometimes severely, constraints are not immutable laws, and circumstances do not make decisions. But the false and persistent narratives are politically useful to the powerful, for the invocation of historical necessity serves to excuse the decisions of those who possess the power to make war and obfuscate their ultimate responsibility for having failed to do otherwise.” (10/22/260
https://libertarianinstitute.org/articles/war-is-a-policy-not-an-inevitability/
- War Livestock: When Power Treats People as Expendable
Source: CounterPunch
by Peter Rodgers“On September 28, Brent crude climbed more than 2 percent after President Donald Trump rejected an Iranian proposal to end the conflict and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Six days earlier, speaking before the United Nations, Trump had presented two possibilities: a deal with Tehran or the ‘annihilation of the Islamic Republic’. Even after rejecting the proposal, he said negotiations could continue. One president retained the power to bargain, refuse or escalate; millions of people were left to live with the consequences. That gap between who decides and who pays is the subject of the Iran war. It has a name: war livestock.” (10/22/26)
https://www.counterpunch.org/2026/10/22/war-livestock-when-power-treats-people-as-expendable/
- France and the limits of liberalism
Source: Noahpinion
by Noah Smith“Immigration, the welfare state, and Keynesian economics are all showing signs of strain.” (10/22/26)
https://www.noahpinion.blog/p/france-and-the-limits-of-liberalism
- Trump’s Gamble to End the Iran War
Source: The Atlantic
by Nancy A Youssef & Jonathan Lemire“President Trump has been hearing lately from two trusted confidants, each promising a quick path to ending the war in Iran. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has argued that Iran is on the brink of economic collapse and that a U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, combined with sanctions, will force Tehran to capitulate at the negotiation table. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a series of calls with Trump, has offered a different route: one more round of devastating U.S. and Israeli strikes to topple the regime. Now the Trump administration appears to be considering combining the two approaches, betting that Iran is already on the verge of economic ruin and that a few more major strikes will be enough to trigger regime change.” (10/22/26)
- To Defeat MAGA, Dems Must Win on Immigration
Source: Common Dreams
by Orion Hall“MAGA is an insidious political ‘movement’ that is the inevitable conclusion of the project started with the infamous Powell Memorandum in 1972. Formally titled ‘Attack on American Free Enterprise System’, the Powell Memo is a call to arms for the oligarchy in the US to push for a set of policies that benefit the wealthy while waging a narrative battle designed to get the working class to support these policies to their own detriment. The Powell Memo is not hypothetical: it is the blueprint that the modern conservative movement has followed, and the result some 50 years later is MAGA. The central narrative of MAGA is essentially this: Some other group of people is preventing you (typically white, Christian, straight, cisgender men) from having the basic things in life that you deserve.” (10/22/26)
https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/dems-must-win-on-immigration
- Trump turned the government into an investor. Democrats have shopping plans, too.
Source: Semafor
by Eleanor Mueller“As President Donald Trump continues buying government stakes in private companies, the rest of Washington is starting to appreciate the power of his new tool. The Trump administration has so far announced 43 equity stakes in firms producing everything from minerals to semiconductors, 36 of which were negotiated without explicit legal authority — and more are yet to come. … Thanks to the precedent Trump has set, a future Democratic president could reap multiple benefits from equity stakes in private companies. Among them, as former Biden administration officials suggested: reining in the AI industry, shrinking defense spending, boxing China out of critical sectors, and pressuring gun and oil companies.” (10/22/260
- GOP Spending Swells US Deficit to Nearly $2 Trillion for 2026
Source: Cobden Centre
by Ryan McMaken“The Treasury Department released its monthly statement on Friday and has now confirmed what we all suspected: the US federal government, under the Trump Administration, will finish the 2026 fiscal year with an annual fiscal deficit of about $2 trillion. To be precise, the federal deficit for the 2026 fiscal year, which ended on September 30, is $1.99 trillion. That’s the third largest deficit ever recorded.” (10/22/26)
https://www.cobdencentre.org/2026/10/gop-spending-swells-us-deficit-to-nearly-2-trillion-for-2026/
- The Techlash Is Coming
Source: Liberal Currents
by Chuck Babbage“The backlash against Silicon Valley awfulness—call it a ‘techlash’—is a force that can be turned into remedying actions. It’s not a policy platform. It’s not a solution. It’s a question: How do we tame the corporate monsters to the point where they can be held accountable for making these destructive products? And here are two answers: by wielding the tools of product liability law and antitrust reform.” (10/22/26)
- The Political Orphanage, 10/22/26
Source: The Political Orphanage
“Why Corporations Are People.” (10/22/26)
https://politicalorphanage.libsyn.com/why-corporations-are-people
- Politics Politics Politics, 10/22/26
Source: Politics Politics Politics
“The Inside Story Behind that Amy Acton Ad. The Hottest Data Center Party in DC (with Abby Turner and Ed Tarnowski).” (10/22/26)
https://www.politicspoliticspolitics.com/p/the-inside-story-behind-that-amy
- The Fifth Column, episode 580
Source: The Fifth Column
“Donald Trump is Gay.” (10/22/26)
https://www.wethefifth.com/p/donald-trump-is-gay-episode-580
- Declare Your Independence with Ernest Hancock, 10/22/26
Source: Freedom’s Phoenix
“Ray Youssef (cryptocurrency pioneer) on activism, peer-to-peer crypto solutions for the Global South; Entrepreneur, Developer, Humanitarian, and CEO of the Resistance.” (10/22/26)
- Underthrow Podcast, 10/22/26
Source: Underthrow
“The Adjacent Possible Will Decide Our Future.” (10/22/26)
- Antiwar News with Dave DeCamp, 10/22/26
Source: Antiwar.com
“Iran Says Seven Tankers Struck in Hormuz, 155 Civilians Killed by Saudi Strikes Since July, and More.” (10/22/26)
- Libertarian Angle, 10/22/26
Source: Future of Freedom Foundation
“The Horrors and Fallacies of Socialism.” (10/22/26)
- Pink Flame of Liberty, 10/22/26
Source: Pink Flame of Liberty
“Harpole v. Owens and Snow – Snow files second MOTION TO DISMISS.” (10/22/26)
- Ron Paul Liberty Report, 10/22/26
Source: Ron Paul Liberty Report
“Can A Libertarian Take Kentucky? With Guest Jeremy Todd.” (10/22/26)
- Rising, 10/22/26
Source: The Hill
“Robby Soave gives his radar on Bulwark podcast host Kara Swisher suggesting that Elon Musk should ‘be worried’ about the possibility of Democrats regaining control of Congress.” (10/22/26)
- NPR Politics Podcast, 10/22/26
Source: National Public Radio [US state media]
“The peril and promise of presidential power.” (10/22/26)
https://www.npr.org/2026/10/22/nx-s1-6012224/the-peril-and-promise-of-presidential-power
- Command Post, 10/22/26
Source: The Bulwark
“Trump Threatens Service Member Families if Republicans Lose.” (10/22/26)
- The Chris Hedges Report, 10/22/26
Source: The Chris Hedges Report
“How the GOP Is Working to Steal the Midterms (w/ Joel McCleary and Mark Medish).” (10/22/26)
https://chrishedges.substack.com/p/how-the-gop-is-working-to-steal-the
- The Moynihan Report, 10/22/26
Source: The Moynihan Report
“Jay McInerney on Sex, Drugs, and Literary Stardom.” (10/22/26)
https://www.themoynihan.report/p/jay-mcinerney-on-sex-drugs-and-literary
- Advisory Opinions, 10/22/26
Source: The Dispatch
“Who’s the Loneliest Supreme Court Justice?” (10/22/26)
https://thedispatch.com/podcast/advisoryopinions/whos-the-loneliest-supreme-court-justice/
- The Briefing Podcast with Michael Waldman, 10/22/26
Source: The Briefing Podcast with Michael Waldman
“Why vote? (with Saad Amer and Alma Couverthie).” (10/22/26)
- The Blessings of Liberty with Jeffrey Rosen, 10/22/26
Source: The Blessings of Liberty with Jeffrey Rosen
“Hamilton vs. Jefferson.” (10/22/26)
- Politico Playbook Audio Briefing, 10/22/26
Source: Politico
“America’s Heartland sows doubt in the GOP.” (10/22/26)
- The Daily, 10/22/26
Source: New York Times
“The Election That Will Define Israel’s Future.” (10/22/26)
- Kibbe on Liberty, episode 409
Source: Free the People
“Warmongers Are Destroying Your Savings | Guest: JP Cortez.” (10/21/26)